The Kenyon box set has been reduced to $18.99 at Amazon. That’s less than $2.00 per book given that it is a collection of 22 novels.

The Miracle at St. Bruno’s by Philippa Carr. $ 1.99

From the Jacket Copy:

The first book in Philippa Carr’s celebrated Daughters of Englandseries is at once a love story, a mystery, and an epic historical saga set during the tumultuous reign of Henry VIII

Damask Farland, named after a rose, is captivated by the mysterious orphan Bruno. Discovered upon the abbey altar on Christmas morning, then raised by monks, Bruno becomes the great man whom Damask grows to love—only to be shattered by his cruel betrayal.

This dramatic coming-of-age novel is set in sixteenth-century England, during the chaotic years when Henry VIII stunned the royal court by setting his sights on Anne Boleyn. It’s also the tale of a man whom many believed to be a holy prophet . . . until a shocking truth is unearthed in the shadows of a centuries-old abbey.

Library Journal calls it highly recommended ” The three children form lasting relationships that, along with the intrigues of 16th-century politics and religion, affect their lives as their stories continue through adulthood, marriage, and children.” But another reviewer said that it had too much exposition and the big reveal took too long to achieve.

Polly Evans was a woman with a mission. Before the traditional New Zealand male hung up his sheep shears for good, Polly wanted to see this vanishing species with her own eyes. Venturing into the land of giant kauri trees and smaller kiwi birds, she explores the country once inhabited by fierce Maori who carved their enemies’ bones into cutlery, bushwhacking pioneers, and gold miners who lit their pipes with banknotes—and comes face-to-face with their surprisingly tame descendants. So what had become of the mighty Kiwi warrior?

As Polly tears through the countryside at seventy-five miles an hour, she attempts to solve this mystery while pub-crawling in Hokitika, scaling the Southern Alps, and enduring a hair-raising stay in a mining town where the earth has been known to swallow houses whole. And as she chronicles the thrills and travails of her extraordinary odyssey, Polly’s search for the elusive Kiwi comes full circle—teaching her some hilarious and surprising lessons about motorcycles, modern civilization, and men.

One reviewer called it an enjoyable ramble that gives you snapshots of locales but no true in depth look at any one place.

Why does life speed up as we get older? Why does the clock in your head sometimes move at a different speed from the one on the wall? Time rules our lives, but how much do we understand it? And is it possible to retrain our brains and improve our relationship with it?

Drawing on the latest research from the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and biology, and using original research on the way memory shapes our understanding of time, the acclaimed writer and BBC broadcaster Claudia Hammond delves into the mysteries of time perception. Along the way, she introduces us to an extraordinary array of characters willing to go to great lengths in the interests of research, including the French speleologist Michel Siffre, who spends two months in an ice cave in complete darkness.

Time Warped offers insight into how to manage our time more efficiently, speed time up and slow it down at will, plan for the future with more accuracy, and, ultimately, use the warping of time to our own advantage.

Sounds pretty fascinating. Library Journal wrote this “This is an ideal read for those looking for science-based theories of time perception without the scientific jargon, and will appeal to readers with a curiosity about the role of time in their everyday lives. Hammond suggests time perception is altered among individuals with depression or ADHD; this insight also makes the book valuable for psychologists and counselors. Managers or professionals concerned with time management will also benefit. VERDICT Despite the common belief that time moves at a constant pace, Hammond demonstrates how life’s circumstances can make minutes seem an eternity and decades the blink of an eye.”

Grief has a way of unhinging a man and Aiden’s life was wildly out of balance. Days passed in a blur, nights were for insomnia, the cat moved out. The world lost its colour and living was all too hard, until a kid with a talent for theft pick-pocketed Aiden’s despair and replaced it with hope.

What was it about Aiden that seemed familiar to Bailey? They’d never met before, and seriously the man was a right pain with his cutting wit and his too quick temper. He was just another bloke who’d expect her to make him look good at work. It’d be easier to ignore him if he wasn’t handsome, if she didn’t like the way his brain ticked, and if he didn’t look like someone had stolen his soul.

It was impossible, when that someone turned out to be her.

This is a book I put on my top ten last year. It’s slow moving and unfurls at a gentle pace. But the characters were unique and real. I like a more languorous story from time to time and this romance that tackled grief, depression, ambition was memorable.

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Jane Litte is the founder of Dear Author, a lawyer, and a lover of pencil skirts. She self publishes NA and contemporaries (and publishes with Berkley and Montlake) and spends her downtime reading romances and writing about them. Her TBR pile is much larger than the one shown in the picture and not as pretty.

Carr’s Daughters of England series are gothic women’s fiction, and as a warning–not all have HEAs or warm, fuzzy romances even with a HEA. They don’t really have to be read in order, though they are usually mother–daughter–mother–daughter & daughter’s cousin–etc.

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